Ad Execs Say Bush, Kerry TV Spots Boring

[AmyStrange]

Ad Execs Say Bush, Kerry TV Spots Boring
Mon Jun 7,11:26 AM ET Add Politics - AP to My Yahoo!
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer

FROM: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=536&e=3&u=/ap/20040607/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_ads_madison_avenue_2
WASHINGTON - The Madison Avenue creative gurus behind AFLAC's quacking duck and the "Enterprise: We'll Pick You Up!" rental car slogan think this year's presidential campaign ads could use some pizazz.

"They're content without charisma," said Linda Kaplan Thaler, whose firm produced memorable television commercials for the AFLAC insurance company, Continental Airlines and Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo.

Frank Ginsberg, founder and chief creative director of Avrett Free & Ginsberg, a New York advertising agency, also said spots by President George W. Bush (news - web sites) and Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) could be more captivating.

"The ads are like essays. They're just telling you, they're not selling you," said Ginsberg, whose firm is behind commercials for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, rum maker Bacardi and Ralston Purina, the pet food company.

[IronLionZion]

1. I agree

they are boring, and impersonal, unoriginal, etc.

[Bluzmann57]

2. Maybe the candidates could have talking horses

or discuss erectile dysfunction. A good rock and roll soundtrack would be helpful too. Hey ad execs, these are politicians we're talking about here! The future of the world is at stake here, and Madison Ave. types are worried about adding "pizazz". Man oh man does that sound shallow.

[AP]

3. Don't drag Kerry down with Bush. His ads are great.

Even David Axelrod says so (IIRC)

http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1910645

[Deja Q]

4. With * being the more charismatic, AGAIN... Worst of all,

When we determine our leaders by how much charisma they have instead of frigging ABILITY TO DO THE FUCKIN' JOB... sigh. WTF is wrong with this country?!

[clydefrand]

5. I agree

Those who say John Kerry is boring simply have very short attention spans and limited vocabulary. I want my leaders to be serious minded when they need to be and by golly, we need one to be serious NOW!

[zulchzulu]

6. Comparing to two shows they have no frickin' clue

Kerry's ads are about taking the high road, introducing him to America much like Reagan did in 1980.

Bush's ads are full of lies and gimmicky effects and are focused on attacking Kerry exclusively.

$100 million later, Bush's ads have hardly any effect.

I would suspect Kerry's ads will get a bit more intense as the Dem convention comes and goes.

Maybe the Bush ads need to be more like this one:
http://www.awolcowboy.com/media/bush-planet.rm

[Still_Loves_John]

7. Maybe..

"They're content without charisma," said Linda Kaplan Thaler, whose firm produced memorable television commercials for the AFLAC insurance company, Continental Airlines and Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo. "

Herbal essences? So maybe Kerry just needs some orgasms in his ads and he'll do fine.

Honestly, these are political ads, do you really want talking ducks in them?

You know, I actually like Kerry's ads, especially the town hall one. I've always thought a great political ad would just be a candidate talking about the issues, and there it is.

Bush's ad's are bad, though. I was really trying to compare them impartially, and I was looking at Bush's feel good ad vs Kerry's feel good ad, and I think Kerry's was just better. Kerry's ad has this great music, and he's doing the voiceover in that great, paternal voice of his, while Bush's ad has that generic ad woman. Even Kerry's visuals (Of like the VFW guy and random happy people) in the ad are better, and more real looking, I think the ones in Bush's ad look more staged and aren't filmed as well; they look like stock footage from an insurance ad. And while John Kerry's ad is completely positive, the Bush ad has to throw in a little jab at JK at the end, like they can't help themselves. What I love about that is that they go "John Kerry says that this is the worst job growth since the great depression," but don't refute the claim. What do they say? "That's not very optimistic of him." But they can't say that its not true.

[Cheswick2.0]

8. as much as I hate bush.... one of his first commercials was very well done

It was not one of the attack adds. It was a hometown USA type of add and it was extremely well done.

Of course it was all bullshit. Unfortunately people will fall for well done bullshit.

I saw a Kerry add that I thought was very well done too. One part I remember was where he was at a computer with a small girl, talking to her.

[gulliver]

9. Self-serving tripe.

What would you expect Madison Ave. execs to say? They wouldn't criticize the ads if they had produced them -- and they probably want to.

What bothers me about this sort of thing is these clowns are equalizing Bush's and Kerry's ads in order to make money for themselves. In fact, Bush's ads have already been called the most negative in history and roundly criticized for blatant "factual errors." Reducing both sets of ads to a common denominator of boring is contemptible.

But we thank the brilliant folks who brought us the "Enterprise: We'll Pick You Up" campaign for their astute observation. A**holes.

[rivertext]

10. talking duck, "Aflack" sells?

That "Aflak" duck is memorable in the same way as George Bush senior was when he vomited on the Japanese prime minister.

All that duck sells is that it's time to change the channel.

[tedoll78]

11. Amen.

HUMOR, folks.

It's the most under-used weapon in political TV advertising today. Make the public laugh with you at the other guy (or gal)!

When humor works, it's because it's based on the truth.
When people laugh with you, they're more likely to be more comfortable around you, more likely to agree with you on that truth, and more likely to vote for you.